Hearing someone boast endlessly about their kids...

[bordas]

Someone can't shut up boasting about their kids' successes, day after day, and letting down other kids that she knows.

Do you know this person? Are they in your life? How do you deal with them??

She's also the kind who if she even gets a whiff of another kid not doing so well at something will come at it with the faux concern "Oh I'm sooooooooo sorry that Tarquin isn't coping with activity. Octavia absolutely loooooooooves it"

I knew someone like this. I think it's possible she'd set my child up in opposition to her own at some competitions we used to do, because if my daughter didn't place she would actually seek us out and commiserate and offer a well done, but if my child placed above her child or won she would avoid us entirely and leave early. It was odd, and we didn't like a big deal to be made out of 'losing' so I didn't care for the fact she'd make a thing of it.

Oh god this is my cousin. His kids are the most intelligent, athletic, perfect specimens ever to set foot on the earth. They live in a small town and go to a school that doesn’t have a lot of high achievers so it’s very much big fish in a little pond. I just do the smile and nod and ignore. Criticising other children would really annoy me though.

Some people never grow out of it or transfer it to their grandchildren tbh. I know someone who does this and often mid-way through a conversation in a group I wonder how she's going to work her family into it, she's always looking for the link to mention them!

@Oceanus

love your post. Especially the bit about being bonkers past the point of no return 😂😅😂. Some of my work colleagues can be horribly racist/homophobic and generally annoying . There is no logical reasoning to be done as they’re old and quite frankly a bit thick.

your words have given me courage to go back to work tomorrow and Ignore certain comments rather than letting it wind me up!

I know a parent who does this, but only with one of their children (the PFB). The poor second child rarely gets a mention, and then only as an accessory to the PFB, or as an afterthought. We take the piss out of it, but tbh it makes me feel very sorry for the poor second child.

I think that at least the boasters are up front about it ; the ones who turn it all back onto themselves are also as bad but they also try to be covert about it and it doesn't work as you know it's coming!!
People can be infuriating.

Yes I know them and it's so bloody boring. Duck off is what I want to say, nod and smile is what I actually do!

You live among some very strange people.
Round here she’d have had the piss taken out of her.
Been a laughing stock.

I've quietly dropped people who boast or turn it back to them. Means I don't have many friends now really! Or just nod and smile.
I don't dislike them , I just have learnt that I don't need to listen to it all.
It is hard finding a like minded person to be friends with someone who treat a conversation like a tennis match, back and forth and respecting each other to actually speak and listen! They exist , but it's hard to find them!

@anotherbrewplease Racists, the bane of the earth, always make me think what else are you hiding in that head of yours? Are you a psycopath? A sociopath? A pervy perv in your free time? Into the wifey's lingerie when she ain't looking? Hhhmm? I want to say f*uck you but there's always a little voice saying you know they're crazy! don't engage, don't engage, they might punch you! I ocasionally still can't help my tongue, it has a life of its own, but I know it's wrong one of these days somebody's going to punch me and I'm going to have to crowfund for teeth.
Jokes aside I honestly find racists very very scary and in my head they kind of have their own little drawer (next to serial killers). I'm not sure how anyone can argue against a racist who's also a fully-grown adult, surely this person can't be sane to start with and how do you win a bloody argument with a crazy person who's bonkers?
I do feel sorry for homophobes though. In my head I always think they're in the closet and too scared to come out. I think it must be terrible not to go out and live your life fully, so I feel sad. I suggest you picture yourself patting them on the head soothingly saying there, there, it's ok one day you will come out and be happy, picture that and them give them the look that says I pity you and a little pat on the back. It can be soooo satisfying!

Yes, I used to know her, and sadly spent far to much time listening.
It was only when something really extreme happened to my family and she cut me off for a repeated story about one of her PFB, I minimised contact.
I also sensed that normal life moments were framed as competitive. Eg a new lunch box, camping equipment, kids toys, all were endlessly researched and presented as the ultimate.

When I cut back on contact, I went through a few stages - feeling angry, then damming, then lonely, then resigned. Now I feel quite calm, shrugging that it was just a momentary friendship.

I'm actually curious to find out the psychology behind these crazy people. Like the lady of this topic. Finding out about their past and insecurities. Also love criminal psychology. Why people do things you would never imagine doing!

I know a lovely person who lives in a house full of rubbish and uneaten old food. Why does she do nothing about it? Does she even bathe? What has made her this way?

I have two friends that do...all the time. However I know the background as both friends are vvv ill (different sets of friends so don't know each other) .. one I suspect won't see her DD leave primary school and the other has another major experimental life saving surgery booked. If this helps them cope I'm happy to lend my ears, like their posts on Facebook and answer their worried WhatsApp in the middle of the night.----

Moonface123 · Today 12:53
Its all down to insecurity, the constant need for validation and approval.

This.

Woman like this on my FB. She only posts pictures that are instagram worthy - everything is a stealth boast.

It's pretty pathetic to be honest!!

My MIL does this about one of her children. Who is in her forties. To the extent that even SOL's cat absolutely adores her.
I want to laugh a bit and say, "oh, she's so fantastic, isn't she?" But I know that wouldn't go down well, so I just laugh mentally and take the piss later.
The lack of self-awareness is amusing.

I know one like this. I see it as desperately needing validation due to low self confidence so I am pretty easy going about it. I am sure in reality they are normal people.
I never mention mine or post photos online to avoid this accusation.

It reminds me of that middle class thing people used to do”Oh yes Bartholemew is reading law at Balliol and Matilda has just gained her distinction and is interning at FTSE 100 for the summer” one upmanship where kids are accessories to the parents middle class lifestyle. Of course Cuthbert who
likes smoking weed and partying with his mates after dropping out of Scunthorpe Poly is discreetly never mentioned. If he is, something vague will be said about pursuing art.

That's why I've stopped looking at fb let alone post anything about my own kids...

I also know one like that. I usually tell her "It's great your DD is doing well at school but probably best to not share the other kid's results" or just shut down her boasting about her kid getting the best marks or whatever and say "Oh really? I heard she only got second best?" And then refuse to explain further.

Even if they do have a reason for being so boastful and annoying there's no need to put kids down to make them feel better. They need therapy not to brag more.

How amazing would it be to be able to read people right off the bat, to be able to tell what makes them tick and what sets them off! People can be so utterly fascinating! (Though complete evil too.)
I've never met a horder (that I knew of) only watched them on tv but I do keep too much stuff so I've wondered if I could ever get to that place given the right storm of circumstances.

I work with one of these women

her kid is just the bestest,most wonderful,brightest,most clever,beautiful,handsome,funny kid in the history of kids-no other kid can come close to him-he’s just perfect in every way and so advanced for his tender years

(hes just a normal 3 year old)

I don’t like her as a person but I am polite if I have to speak to her-I just walk away if she starts with ‘son,son,son’ or ‘son is doing xyz-is yours doing that yet?no?what a shame,son is the bestest at it’

its got to the point where people are starting to take the piss and she’s the only one who can’t see it

every bloody time she opens her gob it starts with ‘son’ (in real life,it’s her kids name)

its boring but she doesn’t have anything else in her life apart from her family-all her sisters have kids about the same age (give or take 18 months) so I think she feels she has to compete with their kids and it spills out into the rest of her life

This. I’ve lost a good friend to this. First it was dull, then it’s annoying and finally I found there were lots of digs about my parenting and my kids. Some people be come a bit strange / no fun when they have children sadly.

Haha I used to do a water aerobics class and afterwards we'd all have a coffee. They were all grannies and it was indeed tedious hearing about how every grandchild was "advanced for his or her age". Yawn. I soon stopped going for the coffee.

I can’t stand this either but think of something my gran used to say ‘she thinks all her geese are swans’ 🤣

I don't mind this at all and I am pleased yo hear of friends and family's kids achievements.its natural for a parent to feel proud of their kids